In his second letter to the Apostle Timothy, Paul wrote this: “Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal (as surety).  The Lord knows them that are His …. (2 Tim. 2:19).  At Christian baptism one becomes a BEGOTTON son of God and He SEALS (calls) the convert.  He will not withdraw His CALLING.  One is SEALED until the day of redemption (salvation)” (Eph. 4:30).  The convert is SEALED at baptism “FOR THAT DAY.”–the day when salvation is awarded.  “For that day” shows that Paul was referring to the future when Christ returns to set up the Kingdom of God on earth.  Read The Kingdom of God.  Key word–Kingdom.

Though God seals the convert, and that sealing is secure/sure, the seal can be broken by one’s sins.  The final outcome of the sealing is not guaranteed to produce salvation until “THAT DAY” when we become born (again) sons of God.  “We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of PROMISE” (Eph. 1:33).  There is a PROMISE, not a guarantee at the point in time when God’s CALLING IS SEALED.  God’s part of the sealing is secure, but the final outcome is not known until we have become BORN AGAIN sons of God.  Read Born Again.  Key word–Again.  At that time one graduates from being a BEGOTTEN OF GOD to being a BORN AGAIN SON OF GOD.  REBIRTH involves changing from a physical to a spirit being–becoming bodily LIKE GOD AND CHRIST.  In the eyes of God, upon being begotten one is as good as saved, but not yet saved.  Sealing is much like our ENGAGEMENT period–like Joseph and Mary prior to their official marriage.  In John 6:47, the Lord, speaking through the apostle, says that the sealed person: “has eternal life.”  In Romans 4:17 clarifies what is meant by those Words.  Here Paul explains that the Lord “CALLS THINGS THAT ARE NOT AS THOUGH THEY ARE.”  We must understand this Biblical Truth in order to not be deceived by Satan into believing that we are saved in this life.  WE ARE NOT SAVED.  The seal can still be broken.  Just as Joseph could have put Mary away–rejected her–during their engagement period, the convert can be “put away” by the Lord–He can break the seal.  Until the time of ones rebirth, the Lord “calls things that are not as thought they are.”

An example of this Godly Truth was spoken by Jesus to some Jews would wanted to kill Him.  In the discourse (Jn. 10:34,35) he quotes Himself as recorded in Ps. 82:6,7 where He–as the God of the Old Testament–said to backslidden Israel: “I have said, ‘YOU ARE GODS, and all of you are children of the most High.  But you shall die like (mere) men ….'” because of their sins.  Jesus called them (potential) gods.  They would one day be gods IF THEY OBEYED HIM.  At that time He was the spirit God of the Old Testament.  Now let us examine exactly what He (physical Jesus of Nazareth) said to another group of Israelites (Jews): “Is it not written in your Law (Psalms), ‘I (then as their spirit God) said, You (ancient Israel) are Gods.  If He (Jesus when He was the Old Testament God) called them  (ancient Israel) “gods” to whom the Word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken ….”

Notice in the above passages that the Old Testament God called backslidden Old Testament Israelites “gods.”  They were anything but godly, being totally in sin.  Much later, having become Jesus of Nazareth, He said to some Jews who were about to stone Him that He had called their ancestors “gods,” thereby calling them (Jews of Jesus’ day) “gods” also.  Both groups were sinners of the vilest sort.  But they were potential gods and would become gods IF THEY OBEYED HIM.  He was “calling things (Jews) that were not (gods) as if they were (gods).”  The same is true concerning the sealing of begotten believers.  God’s sealing was sure as far as HE was concerned.  The final outcome would depend on the walk of those whom He had sealed at baptism, who had been justified (had all past sins forgiven), converted and filled with the Holy Spirit.  Their life’s walk from that time until the end would determine if the sealing would hold.  Obedience would keep the seal secure.  Sin would cause it to break.  Nothing has changed.

Our sealing is not guaranteed to produce salvation until one is declared a born (again) child of God at the return of Jesus Christ.  Note that Jesus Himself said that only those who endured (with their sealing intact) until the end “will be (at that time) saved” (Mat. 10:22).  Then God will own the believer.  Then, and only then, will one be assured of his/her salvation.

Satan’s false prophets have been responsible for leading billions of God-seekers away from Him and into counterfeit Christianity known as Catholicism/Protestantism.  Their “come as you are, stay as you are”/ “only believe”/ “all grace and no Law”/ “workless”/ “sin and grin my friend for in the end you’ll still win; pie in the sky, sin till you die, for in the sweet by and by you’ll still get to fly”/ “I’m okay, you’re okay, we’re all okay”/ “it’s all good” religion is deadly.  Reject the death that professing Christendom offers.  Come out of her and be separate, do not touch that unclean thing.  Then, and only then, can He become your God and you can become His people (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1).  L.J.